title: Hepatitis B virus : detection and quantitation by membrane and liquid hybridization, branched DNA signal amplification, hybrid capture, and PCR methods.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of the Hepadnaviridae family and has a (3200-bp) partially double-stranded circular DNA genome (1). This virus causes subclinical, acute self-limited, chronic, and fulminant hepatic infections. Chronic HBV infection is particularly important because of the clinical manifestations which include: cirrhosis, hepatic failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as extrahepatic manifestations, such as vasculitis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. It is estimated that there are currently 350 million chronic HBV carriers worldwide (2).
authors.affiliation: the Toronto Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krajden